TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Legislative Yuan passed a motion Friday (April 9) expressing support for democracy in Myanmar and called on the government to provide assistance.

Since a military coup on Feb. 1, the military in the Southeast Asian country has killed hundreds of civilians, including children. Protests in favor of the restoration of democracy are nevertheless continuing at home and abroad.

After negotiations between political parties, the Legislative Yuan produced a joint statement Friday morning voicing support for the democracy movement in Myanmar, CNA reported. As a free, democratic and peace-loving country, it was unacceptable the military in Myanmar used violence to attack peaceful civilians, the motion said.

Only rational discussion could resolve differences, while the country should restore democratic rule as soon as possible. The lawmakers also paid attention to the hundreds of Taiwanese business people in Myanmar, calling on the government to maintain close contact and offer information and assistance.

As long as the crisis continued, restrictions on citizens of Myanmar staying in Taiwan should be flexible, legislators said. President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the New Power Party (NPP) each filed separate motions on Myanmar, but all parties later agreed to merge their proposals into a single document.